Threader calender rollers



July 24, 1956 L. A. MOORE $75,

THREADER CALENDER ROLLERS Filed NOV. 2, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l n H fli m Envcntor:

.ZAWHENZIF A. M00215.

attorneys July 24, 1956 A. MOORE THREADE'R CALENDER ROLLERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1950 LAM 3MB AMUUHE.

July 24, 1956 1.. A. MOORE 2,755,711

THREADER CALENDER ROLLERS Filed Nov. 2, 1950 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 lllll' 5a Jana-"f AGZ/ 44" III .IIHII 6 5 LAM/2mm A .MDUHE.

(Ittomegj 1955 L. A. MOORE 2,755,711

THREADER CALENDER ROLLERS Filed Nov. 2, 1950' 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 a in 4 f5 96 l f3 1 1: ,6. x1 a 9 6 I A, l I 3maentor LAWRENCE A M00125.

(lttornegs J 24, 1%56 MOORE 2,755,733

THREADER CALENDER ROLLERS Filed Nov. 2, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I I mil-, w 7;

Znwentor:

LAWRENCE A. M00122.

attorney a TADER CALENDER ROLLERS Lawrence Augustus Moore, Elkhart, Ind., assiguor, by mesne assignments, to Robert Gair Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 2, 1950, Serial No. 193,609

4 Claims. (Cl. 92-74) This invention relates to machines used in the manufacture of flexible material such as textiles or papers and more particularly to mechanisms for feeding such materials around and between rolls or cylinders. The invention is herein described as applied to the manufacture of paperboard.

In continuous sheet manufacture of paperboard or paper, breaks frequently occur in the sheet. When such interruptions take place, it is necessary that the sheet be fed or threaded around and between the successive rolls to reestablish the continuity of the operation. The usual practice is to feed or thread the strip by hand around the successive rolls while the machine is running. This operation is dangerous to the worker especially when the break occurs at the stack of rolls called the calendering unit since the strip must then be fed by hand through each successive pair of rolls. It can be seen that due to the high speed of rotation and extreme pressure between the rolls, this operation may result in great injury to the worker and in costly delay to the manufacturer of the paperboard.

it is therefore an object of this invention to provide an automatic threading device which will eliminate any danger to the worker.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a threading device which will operate quickly and efiiciently thereby resulting in a savings in finished material and man power.

Another object of this invention is to provide a threading device which will operate only at the control of the operator and will only be in contact with the paper during the threading operation thereby lessening any tendency for marking or scratching the surface of the paper through prolonged contact with the paper.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Basically, the threader unit comprises a frame on which are mounted freely rotating rollers. Endless belts are provided over the rollers. One reach of the belts, adjacent to a calendering roll, is in a straight line, and means is provided for actuating the frame to bring this reach into contact with the calendering roll and thereby guide the paper around the roll, the endless belts being driven by contact with the roll and/ or the sheet being guided thereby.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematic elevational view of a portion of the continuous paper manufacturing line including the threader devices;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the portion of the line shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the tension unit with the tension unit threader in operating position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the unit shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view at the line 5-5 on Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the left-hand portion of the continuous line shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary part sectional elevational view showing one of the rollers with the belts trained thereover;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view at the line 8-8 on Fig. 4 with parts in idle position;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a threader on one of the calender rolls;

Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the threader shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a part sectional plan view substantially at the line 1111 on Fig. 13;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of a roller and doctor blade;

Fig. 13 is a sectional elevational view substantially at the line 1313 on Fig. 11; and

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a belt used in the threader units.

As hereinafter set forth, the threader units which com prise my invention are shown as applied to that portion of the paper manufacturing process, commonly called calendering, where the paper surface is finished.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 in which a portion of the continuous paper making operation is shown, the continuous sheet 20 of paperboard or paper is shown passing between rolls 21, 22. A surge portion 23 is provided in the line to compensate for changes in tension which would otherwise tear or break the continuity of the sheet. The sheet then passes over a roll 24 to a tension unit 25 and then to a calendering unit 26.

The tension unit operates to maintain the proper tension on the sheet as it enters the calendering unit. This unit 25 comprises a roll 35, a large tension roll 36 below and to one side of roll 35, a second roll 37 parallel to and spaced horizontally from said roll 35, and a continuous belt 33 in contact with the tension roll 36. The paper passes over the roll 35, between the roll 35 and tension roll 36, around and between the roll 36 and the belt 38 and then between the rolls 36, 37 and over the roll 37 to the calendering unit 26.

The calendering unit 26 comprises a series or stack of rolls in vertical alignment. The sheet of paper is fed around and between these rolls alternately on either side of the stack and then out to the final cutting or other operation.

It can readily be seen that if a break occurred in the continuous sheet, the sheet would have to be threaded around and between the rolls by hand. This would be a very dangerous operation in addition to being time consuming and costly. To eliminate the disadvantages of this hand operation, threader units 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 60, and 32 are provided on the tension unit and the calendering unit. Each of these units is actuated to contact the rolls and guide the paper around the rolls only during the threading operation.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the tension unit threader 27 is positioned between the rolls 35, 37 and above the roll 36, and comprises a piston motor assembly 39, an inlet or left-hand unit 40, an outlet or right-hand unit 41, and a stationary mounting bracket 42. Each of the units 40 and 41 includes a lower stationary frame 40, 41 and an upper rockable frame 40', 41 respectively.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 8, the lower frame 40 of the left-hand unit includes an end plate 43 rigidly fastened to the mounting bracket 42, and an end plate 44 spaced from the end plate 43 by a spacer plate 45 and a spacer bar 46. Cross shafts 47, 56 are provided at each end of the lower portion. As shown in Fig. 7, hollow rollers 48 are mounted for free rotation around the shafts 47, 56 by means of bearings (not shown). The upper frame 40' of the left-hand unit is constructed in a similar manner with end plates 50, 51, spacer plate 52, spacer bar 53, cross shaft 54 and roller 55. The shaft 56 is common to both frames of the unit, so that the upper frame 40 canbe pivoted or rocked relative to the lower frame 40 about this shaft.

Endless flexible belts 57 of material such as rubber are trained over the rollers 48. As shown in Fig. 7, the portions 49 of the rollers at which the belts contact are beveled to aid in the proper spacing of the belts. An arm 58 is fastened to the end plate 59 of the movable frame 40* of the left-hand unit and is provided with a slot 59 through which the left-hand unit is actuated by the piston motor assembly as hereinafter described.

The right-hand unit of the tension unit threader is constructed in a similar manner to the left-hand unit and includes a lower fixed frame 41 and an upper rockable frame 41 As shown in Fig. 3, the spacer plate 62 of the upper frame 41 is positioned to ride above the path of the belts. A finger 63 is formed at the pivoted end of the upper portion and is actuated by the piston motor assembly as presently described.

The piston motor assembly (Figs. 4 and includes a cylinder 64 mounted on a bracket formed by two projecting rods 65 and cross bar 66. The bottom end of the piston motor body carries a yoke 57 which is fastened to the cross bar 66 by a pin 68. The piston motor body therefore has a limited pivoting movement about the pin 68. The piston motor assembly also includes a piston rod 69, the outer end of which is formed with a clevis 70. The piston rod is connected to the finger 63 on the righthand unit by means of a pin 71 passing through the clevis and the finger. The end of the pin 71 is formed with a projecting portion which rides in the slot 59 of the arm 58 of the left-hand unit 40. This construction provides means permitting relative movement of the respective frame portions of the threader incident to actuation of the piston rod. When the piston rod is in its uppermost position, the upper frames 40 41 of the threader are pivoted as shown in Fig. 4, thereby moving the belts into contact with the rollers. When the piston is retracted to its lower position, the upper frames of the threader unit are pivoted thereby moving the belts out of contact with the roll and bringing the upper and lower frames of the unit into almost straight alignment as shown in Fig. 8 and by the dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The threader units 28, 29, 3t), 31, 6t and 32 on the calender unit 26 utilize the same principle of operation as the tension unit threader 27, with only structural differences as necessitated by their respective positions on the calender unit. The threader unit 32 will be herein described as representative of the threaders on the calender unit.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the threader unit 32 is mounted upon the vertical frame member 72 near one end of the rolls. An arm support bracket 71 is bolted to the frame member 72. and is formed with a hinge 73 about which an arm 74 is pivoted through a pin 75. A piston motor assembly '76 is mounted on the arm 74 and includes a piston motor shaft 77 on which the threader frame is mounted. The threader frame comprises end plates 78 and 79 held in spaced relation by spacer bars 80 and 81. Cross shafts 82, 83 and 84 are provided at intermediate points around the plates, and hollow rolls 88 are mounted on these rods with bearings 88 (Fig. 11). Connecting rods 85, 86, mounted between the end plates, are fastened to a mounting bracket 87 for the threader frame which in turn is screwed to the piston shaft 77 of the piston motor. A guide rod 89 extends from the bracket 87, parallel to the piston rod and into a hole in the arm 74 in order to prevent the piston motor shaft 77 from rotating and thereby keep the threader frame in proper position relative to the calendering roll 101. Spacers 90 in the form of rollers are mounted on the spacer bars 80, 81 to keep the belts in position on the rolls 88.

A doctor blade 91 is mounted in fixed position relative to the threader unit 32 on a bracket 92 bolted to the end plates of the unit (Pig. 12). This doctor blade is positioned to contact the calenden'ng roll 102 above the corresponding =threader unit and operates to prevent the paper from being wrapped around the roll and to insure directing of the paper between the threader and roll with which it is associated.

Means is provided for locking the arm 74 in normal position against the arm support bracket 71 and includes an eye bolt 96 held in position by a pin 97 (Figs. 9, 10). The eye bolt is positioned in such a manner that it may be rotated to fit in a slot 98 in the arm 74. A knob 99 is screwed on the eye bolt and locks the eye bolt in position in the slot.

As shown in Fig 13, the calender threader unit 32 is so constructed that the belts are brought into contact with the roll when the piston rod is at its outermost position, and the belts are brought out of contact with the roll when the piston rod is in its innermost or retracted position.

Air is supplied to the solenoid operated air valves 33, 34 (Fig. 1) through an air line 100. Air lines 103, 104 connect the air valve 33 to either end of the piston motor of the tension unit threader 27, and air lines 105, 106 connect the air valve 34 to either end of the piston motors of the calender unit threaders, 28, 29, 30, 31, 60, and 32. The solenoid operated air valves 33, 34 are of the conventional type and are controlled by switches 1G7, 108 respectively. When these switches are closed and opened, the valves are actuated to supply air to alternate ends of the piston motors and move the threader units into and out of contact with the rolls.

The operation of the threader units may be summarized as follows:

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, and 6, when a break in the continuous sheet 20 occurs, the cutter 93 is moved into the position shown by the dotted lines and is brought into contact with the paper, thereby cutting a narrow strip 94 as shown in Fig. 6. Obviously it would be impractical to manipulate or handle the entire width of sheet which is about eight feet or better. This strip is fed into the threaders, as presently described, while the remainder of the sheet falls into a pit 95. An operator actuates the solenoil operated air valves 33, 34 thereby bringing each of the threader units into contact with the corresponding rolls. An operator then takes the end of the strip 20 and inserts it in the tension unit between the rolls 3S and the left-hand unit of the tension unit threader 27. The end of the strip is then carried around the tension unit between the belt 38 and the tension roll 36 and then between the right-hand portion of the tension unit threader and the roll 37 over to the calendering unit 26 where it is acted upon by the respective threader units. As can be seen, the interaction of the threader units which are placed alternately on either side of the calender rolls, will thread the strip automatically around each of the rolls.

The doctor blade being rigidly attached to the threader unit moves in conjunction with the threader unit and prevents the strip from being wrapped around the wrong roll.

After the threading operation is completed, the solenoid operated air valves are again actuated, thereby moving the threader units out of engagement with the rolls. The cutter 93 is raised and that portion of the sheet going into the pit is cut off. The entire width of the sheet 20 is then permitted to continue through the various units. The arrangement whereby the threader units are only brought into contact during the threading operation is of great advantage since it prevents surface imperfections which would probably occur .if the threader units were permitted to remain in contact with the paper for prolonged periods.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a horizontal tension roll, a pair of relatively smaller rolls disposed substantially in a common plane spaced vertically from the axis of the tension roll, the axes of said rolls being parallel and the axis of the tension roll being in a plane between said smaller rolls, a threader device comprising a unit for each of the smaller rolls, each unit including a pair of frames pivoted together, one frame of each unit being rigidly mounted and the other being rockable about the pivot, rollers on opposed ends of said frames, endless elastic belts trained over the rollers in each pair of frames and normally stretched taut out of contact with said smaller rolls, and means for actuating the rockable frames to bring one reach of each belt into sheet engaging relation ship to the smaller rolls.

2. In combination, a horizontal tension roll, a pair of relatively smaller rolls disposed substantially in a common plane spaced vertically from the axis of the tension roll, the axes of said rolls being parallel and the axis of the tension roll being in a plane between said smaller rolls, a threader device comprising a unit for each of the smaller rolls, each unit including a pair of frames pivoted together, one frame of each unit being rigidly mounted and the other being rockable about the pivot, rollers on opposed ends of said frames, endless belts trained over the rollers in each pair of frames and normally out of contact with said smaller rolls, and a piston motor for actuating the rockable frames to bring one reach of each belt into sheet engaging relationship to the smaller rolls.

3. In combination, a horizontal tension roll, a pair of relatively smaller rolls disposed substantially in a common plane spaced vertically from the axis of the tension roll, the axes of said rolls being parallel and the axis of the tension roll being in a plane between said smaller rolls, a threader device comprising a unit for each of the smaller rolls, each unit including a pair of frames pivoted together, one frame of each unit being rigidly mounted and the other being rockable about the pivot, rollers on opposed ends of said frames, endless belts trained over the rollers in each pair of frames and normally out of contact with said smaller rolls, a piston motor, a slotted arm rigidly mounted on the pivoted end of one rockable frame, said piston motor having a rod connected to the slotted arm and to the pivoted end of the other rockable frame whereby actuation of the piston motor rocks both frames simultaneously.

4. The combination of two parallel cylindrical rolls of relatively small diameter, said rolls being spaced apart, a third roll of greater diameter, the axis of said third roll lying in a vertical plane between the axes of said smaller rolls, and a threader unit mounted between said two smaller rolls to guide sheet material around and between said rolls, said threader unit comprising a stationary mounting bracket, a pair of frames adjacent to each of said smaller rolls, each pair of frames comprising a stationary frame rigidly mounted to said mounting bracket and a rockable frame pivotally fastened to said stationary frame, a series of rollers mounted on each of said frames, the axes of said rollers being parallel to the axes of said rolls, a series of endless elastic belts trained over the rollers in each pair of frames, and means for rocking said rockable frames to bring each series of rollers into substantially a common plane with the elastic belts stretched taut between the outermost rollers of the respective series and out of contact with the adjacent smaller rolls, and to bring each series of rollers into another position in which the axes of the rollers of the respective series are distributed around a substantial portion of the circumference of the adjacent smaller roll with the elastic belts stretched around the roll and in engagement therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 362,294 McCarthy May 3, 1887 1,304,630 Tornberg May 27, 1919 1,544,684 Roesen July 7, 1925 1,937,412 Roesen Nov. 28, 1933 1,955,813 Klappenecker Apr. 24, 1934 1,959,418 Fourness May 22, 1934 2,006,499 Fourness et al. July 2, 1935 2,369,089 Thomas Feb. 6, 1945 2,651,242 Neely Sept. 8, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,436 Germany Mar. 31, 1880 145,690 Germany July 20, 1902 

